Book: Oblivion’s Hymn by A.J. Peterson
Reviewed by Kayleigh
Rating: 4/5
Reading Oblivion’s Hymn felt like being dropped into a world that is stitched together with bargains, broken promises, and magic that hums under your skin long after the final chapter. Echo and Rhienne’s story had me hooked instantly. They are two women clawing their way through danger, debt and divine consequences, while bound by a friendship that is gloriously messy, fiercely loyal, and wonderfully complex.
What I loved most was how truly alive Peterson’s world feels. Every choice Echo makes lands with real, bone deep weight, and every mistake Rhienne tries to outrun ticks louder and louder, like fate breathing down her neck. The gods lurking at the edges of the story add this delicious, ever present tension, creating an unease that never quite lets you settle. The shapeshifting, the bargains, the desperate bid for freedom all weave together into a fantasy that manages to be both sweeping and intimate. Epic in scope yet deeply personal at its core.
I also adored how even the gods were chaotic and messy. We’re so used to divine beings being portrayed as flawless, aloof, and unbearably haughty. However, Peterson flips that on its head. In this world, the gods are just as gloriously f*cked up as everyone else, stumbling through their own disasters and divine drama. It adds such a fun, unpredictable edge to the story.
Oblivion’s Hymn is the kind of story that makes you feel every heartbeat of its characters. You’ll find yourself empathising with them, aching for them, rooting for them even when they stumble spectacularly. It had me whispering “just one more chapter” until the early hours of the morning, completely swept up in its atmosphere, emotional turmoil, and gorgeously layered magic system. I was hooked right up to the final page. I genuinely cannot wait to dive into the next instalment, Exodus’s Chorus . Watch this space for my review!